McCall’s Early Spring 2018

The year has barely begun and we have the first of our new pattern releases! McCall’s has announced it’s Early Spring collection. It seems to be much the same as last year as far as trends go… Flouncy sleeves, open shoulders, and the like. There are lots of cute trendy pieces, but nothing that really seems like a real stand-out pattern for me this time around. Let’s take a look:

M7720 – Phoebe Couture. I like this dress; the bodice and silhouette are very nice, but it isn’t particularly unique in terms of features. Cute, but I feel there are similar patterns I’ve already got in the stash.

M7728 – I’m a bit torn on this jumpsuit – the line drawings look very sleek, but I’m not loving how the styles look on the models. I do like a lot of the options and variations to the tops here though.

M7716 – This is another dress/jumpsuit pattern I’m torn on. I think the models look cute, and the line drawings look good, but I don’t think this is the best pattern for me. It’s on my maybe list even though I do really love that open back though – very chic!

M7727 – Khaliah Ali. This is one of those patterns that I think will start popping up on other blogs and will be pretty fabulous looking when it does. This shirt dress/top/coat could be quite versatile in terms of styling, and I think it is quite striking. Again, not something I’d want to make for myself, but, I think this will be a popular pattern.

M7718 – Custom Cup Sizes. I do rather like versions C and D; I’m a sucker for a princess dress. This is perhaps not the most exciting gown, but is it simple and pretty, and could be a nice base pattern for a fancy event ballgown.

M7719 – Create It! This patterns have a variety of tops and skirts that can be mixed to create a variety of looks. I do like the 3+5 look shown on the right, but this is another patterns that feels very similar to many of the other styles I already have in the stash. I like it, but not enough to add it to the stash.

M7714 – Another dress pattern that isn’t particularly unique, but it is very nice. This is definitely the sort of pattern that could become a TNT, but is also very similar to other patterns from the Big 4 (Big 1?).

M7717 – Laura Ashley. There are some pretty epic sleeves here. Without that detail there isn’t much to say about this dress. Cute, but, again, not something I’ll need for the stash. I could see this being popular as it seems the sleeve trend is staying strong. Also, as a word of caution, it looks really short on the model, so just something to be aware of if you are interested in trying this pattern.

M7715 – Another dress with neckline and band details. This is another pattern that isn’t my personal style, but I could see it being really cute on others. It could be really fun to play around with mixing fabrics on the band details, or to mix in nice features like pipping.

M7711 – Learn to Sew for Fun dress. I’ve never been a fan of overly boxy looks, though I know belts are always an option. This is a pretty basic pattern, but still with the sleeve ruffle. It would be nice for someone who just got a sewing machine for the holidays, or someone who wants to made a fairly straightforward pattern. The collar variation with the band and open V is a nice design feature.

M7713 – This is a pretty nice shirt-dress with sleeve variations. It sort of escaped me in the first examination of the patterns, but I actually rather like the details and silhouette of this dress.

M7712 – In which we continue the trend of “stick a ruffle on it.” While the front pockets are a nice detail, the ruffles are somewhat overdone, and the overall silhouette here is a bit blah.

M7723 – At the end of last year I thought the ruffle trend was toning down, but here I see I was quite mistaken. It’s almost a game of seeing how many layers of ruffles we can stack before it just gets totally overwhelming.

M7724 – This top again feels a bit much. It sort of feels like rather than sticking with one clear concept, they threw everything at it. Asymmetric hem? Sure. Ruffles? Definitely. Open shoulders? Of course! On the one hand I do rather like some of the more streamlined options (views C, D, and E), but I sort of also know that I wouldn’t really wear them. It feels a bit over the top, more like a costume than fashion.

M7721 – Learn to Sew for Fun top. As with the other Learn to Sew garments, the basic silhouette is very boxy, easy to fit, and easy to sew. Sleeve variations leave us with more ruffles, though much toned down here when compared to the other looks in this release.

M7722 – If I had to pick a winner for the tops in this collection, this would probably be it. It does play with the sleeve trend, but in a much more subdued way. These styles, at least, should be easier to fit under a jacket and look a bit warmer as we head into the coldest months of the year.

M7730 – Custom Cup Sizes. It’s all about the sleeves once again on this jacket pattern. The long version is ok, but I wish the coat had a few more details in addition to the sleeves. Visually, I can see why the simple silhouette works, but without the sleeve feature, there isn’t much excitement here.

M7729 – This denim jacket pattern is pretty cute! I like how it was used with print blocking to really highlight all of the design lines and features. The cropped version is especially cute, and very classic in terms of style and design.

M7725 – More ruffles. Though I actually do tend to enjoy an asymmetric skirt. I like this design, but I don’t think I “need” it for my stash. Could be really fun to wear in the spring and summer though after it warms up a bit.

M7726 – These feel very much like the culottes from last February’s Burda, so I don’t think I’ll need to add this to my stash. I did very much enjoy making that pattern, but I do find myself having issues styling it. I do appreciate the attempt at giving this an interesting design feature with the high pleated waist though.

M7708 – Learn to Sew for Fun kids tops. Not much to say here, but I think kids might enjoy dressing up in the fun sleeves. Or maybe it’ll drive them nuts. Seems hard to predict what kids’ll wear, based on the experiences of other sewing bloggers.

M7709 – This seems like a good mix of styles for a kids pattern. The shirts look easy to churn out, and the dress can become a tunic if they shoot up suddenly.

M7710 – Ruffles and Lace Treasured Collection. Not sure I’d put the effort of a button front shirtdress in for a kid, but it does look very nice on the model photo.

M7707 – Very cute dress for kids and dolls.

M7734 – It’s not common to see clothing for boy dolls, so this is kind of a unique pattern.

M7731 – That is a LOT of ribbon flowers. Might be of interest to those planning a wedding or other spring event?

M7732 – Angela Clayton. I love this cosplay! It looks really sharp and has a nice level of detail.

M7735 – Outlander costume. Interesting that McCall’s got the licensing after Simplicity printed the red (but now green on the packaging) dress. Though now that they are all under one massive company does it really matter? I mean, I’m sure it does, but, still. Anyway, this pattern looks good; I love all the detailed seam lines on the back of the bodice.

M7736 – Outlander costume. A kilt! I’m sort of excited, though more because I’d want to make a Jamie cosplay for Doctor Who than an Outlander outfit in particular.

And that’s it! I feel like I’ve seen a lot of excited and positive reviews for this release, but I’m sort of blasie about the whole thing. I’ve pondered this before, but I’m left wondering if this is more an indication of me being more sure of my own style, having an overabundant stash, or a true lack of exciting new patterns. Perhaps it is some combination of all three? Anyway, it seems the ruffles and large sleeves will continue trending into 2018. There are plenty of trendy looks in this release, but after a time there are only so many ways to put a ruffle on a shirt. I feel sort of saturated by this design feature at this point, though I know I’m going to enjoy seeing all of the blog posts from others who make these designs. What do you all think? Are you excited to get started on spring looks? Or are you feeling as underwhelmed by this release as I am? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

OMG, lower arm balloon sleeves with ruffles on top of it!
Sometimes I do wonder with sewing patterns, how does the design-process go? I see where Burda gets its inspiration from, I see what the Indies are thinking, but what are they thinking with those sleeves… Like I have never seen such a shirt out in the wild…

My goodness the crazy sleeves….. M7719 – Create it tops 1 and 2, I would try making those for the summer, they would be great under the white shirt I made last summer. But I do love the M7733 Yaya Han jacket – that is really nice with the curved hem!

The cosplay costumes are really nice, and what a great idea to make the Outlander costume for Doctor Who.

M7718 reminds me of the dress in Burdastyle 3/2013. I like a shirtdress but wonder if the corset belt is a little last season. I sometimes think pattern companies are a bit late coming to trends. I think M7723 has some good options if watered down, ie, some of the frills removed. I don’t know what to make of M7724. I feel it shouldn’t work but it kind of does in the subdued fabric choice on the cover. M7726 trousers a definite maybe. Yes the culottes are like Burdastyle but Burda have yet to do a good pair of tapered high waist paperbag style trousers. M7732 is a great costume with a really cute blouse.